Being Human
by ThePagemaster1212
Summary: Loki wakes up with no recollection of his misdeeds, and faces punishment in Asgard. A punishment that is far harder than he ever imagined possible. And how will he defend himself when he has no clue what he did?
1. Chapter 1

How was it that everything could be so dark, but be so bright at the same time? Loki had no answer to his silent question as he slowly arose to awareness.

Why was his body in so much pain? It had been a long time since he had felt discomfort to this degree; the last time being when he had been viciously beaten in a training match with Thor.

The blubbering fool had thought he would have had time to dodge Mijnor coming straight at his chest. Loki would have, if not at the same moment, his foot became tangled in a tree root and held him planted to the spot.

He had awoken a day later in his chambers with a healer and a very worried mother hovering above him. Thor had apologized profusely for weeks.

Thor. Where was his brother? He must be near if he was injured.

Opening his eyes was perhaps one of the most exhausting and difficult things he had ever had to do in his life. The lids felt as if someone had glued them together and weighted them down.

After a dozen useless blinks his eyes finally opened. The sight that greeted him was terrifying.

Thor stared down at him with something akin to fury and disappointment, along with someone cloaked in an iron suit, a large green beast, a Midgardian male with an arrow notched on a bow, a Midgardian female with two guns trained on him, and a man wearing a suit of red, white, and blue.

"Hey reindeer games, you winked out on us. Fainted like a teenage girl." The strange voice came from the metal suit, sounding distinctly male.

Loki knew better than to show his emotions and what he was thinking, but he couldn't help his brow from scrunching up in confusion.

Why was he here, and why was his brother not aiding him in rising from this strange cocoon of flooring he seemed to be wedged into? Half- panicked thoughts raced through his exhausted mind, leaving his head spinning violently.

He thought he might be sick. A strange ringing started filling his ears, and his eyes watered up, leaving his vision blurry. His stomach gave one brutal lurch, and that was all it took for Loki to spill the contents of whatever he had eaten onto the floor beside him.

"Oh come on!" the voice from the suit complained once the God of Mischief's hearing returned. "As if you had not destroyed this place enough as it is, let's add nasty, chunky, smelly vomit to it all!"

What was this man rambling on about? He had destroyed this building? A quick glance around supplied him with the state of the place.

An entire wall was missing; giving off a spectacular view of some city, a Midgardian one perhaps? The rest of the room was in shambles. There were holes blasted in every inch of available space, and nothing was in its proper place. Huge cracks ran across the length of the floor around him, spider webbing away from the hole he currently resided in.

To sum up everything, it looked as if a tornado had blown through.

Loki was suddenly grabbed by a pair of meaty hands and hefted to his feet. The pain level spiked, but it was graciously minimal compared to what it had felt like minutes before. His healing abilities were doing their job.

Before the dark-haired God had a second to draw air and question his brother as to the situation, something round and metallic was shoved between his teeth and into his unsuspecting mouth. The metal was cold and large enough to hold his tongue down, effectively cutting off his capability to speak.

Eyes wide with betrayal and a hint of fear shot to the Golden God's. His own brother had silenced him? For what? He shook his head violently to dislodge the strange contraption, but to no avail.

The muzzle was already fastened around his head, ripping out some strands of his silky black hair. During his brief struggle for freedom, someone had clasped his hands together in front of him with a pair of handcuffs. The metal from both cut painfully into his tender skin.

Loki's terrified whimper was silent, thanks to the muzzle. To think that he almost showed fear in front of strangers, and worst of all, his brother, was unacceptable. They must believe him to be strong and in control of the situation.

With that determined thought in mind, he straightened his back and held his head high.

The Midgardian woman stepped forward and pressed a cloth to his nose. A strong noxious smell immediately took over his senses and, unable to draw air through his mouth, it dragged him down into the darkness.

It was so hot, unbearably hot. The sweat trickling down his face slowly is what brought Loki back to awareness. Slowly peeling his eyes open only brought him pain as the salty liquid fell into his eyes. He quickly brought his hand up to wipe away the sting, but his hand caught on something.

Handcuffs? Why were his hands bound? The memories swarmed his mind along with the questions that had been put on hold.

Once again he found himself waking to a place he had no recollection of. He concluded it must be some sort of holding cell, given that the walls were completely bare except the single metal door seated in the middle of one.

He was currently lounging on a bed that felt as hard as the floor would if he had been lying on it instead.

What fate awaited him? Why was he here in the first place? What had he done?

The door banging open snapped him out of his dark thoughts.

A dark man in black clothing and an eye patch strode in surrounded by a cloud of rage. Loki immediately sat up straight in the bed, feeling threatened by this man's mere presence.

"How does it feel to be responsible for the murders of hundreds of innocent people? To know that you failed, you and an army, defeated by six humans?" Murdered? What was he talking about? He decided to go with a respectful tone to try and calm the situation.

"I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea of which you speak, sir." The man's good eye flashed in fury as he lunged forward and grabbed Loki by the shirtfront and lifted him from the bed.

"Don't bullshit me Loki. I know you know exactly what you did!"

"But I don't! I don't know what I did! All I remember is waking up in that building!" The man threw Loki to the ground roughly, stalking back towards the door.

"Enjoy the heat while you wait for Thor to come drag your sorry ass back to your planet to receive your punishment." With that, he departed in a rush, leaving Loki's mouth slightly agape for a moment before he shut it with a snap and rose as gracefully as he could.

His bruised knees protested greatly until he sat back onto the bed.

Soon, the heat grew in intensity leaving Loki's belly rolling with discomfort and anxiety for the moment to come when his brother would walk in the door.


	2. Chapter 2

_For a split second he was weightless. Suspended in space and time until reality caught up with him and ripped him downwards. _

_Down and down he fell, air ripping the air from his lungs and pulling tears from his eyes. The fall seemed to last an eternity before it all came to a jarring stop on the barest of planets._

_Everything was so dark. So dark that Loki thought it may be night on this planet, yet he could see a black sun giving off a feeble amount of dark light._

_He could feel the presence of something watching him through the safety of the shadows, but he couldn't muster the energy to care. The landing had taken its toll on his body._

_Bones were splintered and shifted. Skin was flayed open. Not to mention the bruises that covered every inch of his body, leaving him no respite from the all-consuming pain._

_Loud footsteps neared him. This race was obviously not afraid of him, but then again, who would be afraid of an incapacitated God? _

_The creatures were near enough now that Loki could finally see them, but still the shadows hid everything about them._

_A heavy foot suddenly slammed into his broken hip, stealing a cry from his lips._

_A series a wild clicks erupted from the faceless beings at the sound of his pain. A loud booming footstep in the distance silenced their chatter immediately. _

_Another loud footstep and Loki watched in fear as the creatures turned and ran away. He attempted to move, but the blinding agony was enough to convince him to stay put. Perhaps whatever was coming would believe him dead or dying and leave him be._

_The footsteps drew nearer slowly, shaking the ground around him and filling the God of Mischief with dread._

_Light played across his vision, flickering like a flame. He thought it a small mercy in this dark hour, but soon the light grew and grew, blinding him with its intensity._

_Whatever was coming was fire itself. He could feel the flames licking at his battered body; pulling forth screams._

_The fire walker bent down, face to face with the smaller God, who gasped at the sight._

_One word screamed itself in Loki's head over and over: Thanos._

Loki woke up gasping for breath. He hadn't even realized he had fallen asleep. The room was still boiling hot, or was that just him?

Loki felt sick and weak, pouring buckets of sweat off of him, and shaking like a leaf in a tornado. What was wrong with him? Surely he must have healed from all ailments during his sleep, even with the dream. The dream had felt so real, almost like a memory.

He closed his eyes in horror. It was a memory. He remembered now. He had fallen from the Bifrost and landed on that planet. But what was that planet?

He wracked his brain for an answer, but he couldn't remember anything past the meeting with…the meeting with _him_. Everything was just a giant blank until he woke up surrounded by the humans and his brother.

Something shifted in the corner. Loki shot up in surprise, but he immediately fell back to the bed. Why was he so weak? He tried pushing himself up again, and managed to heave himself into a sitting position, but not without the cost of a lot of sweat and energy.

Why had he not noticed his brother standing in the corner this entire time?

True, he was debilitated by his night terror, but that would not have normally blinded him to such an obvious presence in the room.

Thor was brooding in the corner, complete with his brows furrowed and arms crossed. Loki could almost imagine the steam pouring forth from his ears as he continued to glare silently at him.

Minutes ticked by and the discomfort grew until Loki was sure he could not stand it any longer. Just when he was about to say something to break the tension, Thor pushed himself off the wall and strode towards him with great speed.

"Why did you do it, Loki?" He asked quietly, though the Green God knew his brother well enough to detect the underlying hurt skillfully hidden under his gruff command.

What did he say to Thor? He still had no idea of what he did, or if he was even the one that did it.

"I have no recollection as to what actions you speak of, brother." Thor's mouth tightened to a thin white line.

"Why do you lie, trickster? You know what you have done, and the consequences they will incur." Loki merely shook his head in denial. The Golden God hung his head in shame, and lifted his hand.

Clutched in his grasp was that barbaric muzzle they had put placed on him before rendering him unconscious.

The smaller God drew himself backwards. He would not wear it again. Not if he could help it.

Thor sighed wearily.

"Brother, it must be done. The humans want you silenced for your departure to Asgard, and Father demands its presence as well until your punishment is carried out. Let me put it on and save you the time and displeasure of having it forced upon you."

Still Loki shook his head violently.

Thor raised one of his beefy hands and grasped the pale wrists of the trickster together, effectively pinning them down.

Loki went wild, bucking up and kicking out at the larger God, but to no avail. He was just too weak at the moment to dislodge Thor's hold.

"Loki stop that this minute! Struggling will get you nowhere!"

The cold metal pinched at the still-raw skin around his mouth. Loki's eyes were wide with terror. He felt closed in. He couldn't breathe!

He started gasping for air, but couldn't quench his burning lungs. One of his feet came up and hit Thor squarely in the chest.

It didn't faze the larger God in the least, but the loud snapping noise and pain that followed was overwhelming.

Loki stilled instantly, as did Thor. The God of Mischief had stopped gasping for air and was now holding it in.

He was furiously trying to process the pain that was swamping his senses and drowning him in agony. He didn't even notice that his eyes glazed over because he, a God, had broken his leg and it was not healing.

Please review! I love to hear feedback from y'all. More to come soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Thor stared at his brother in shock when Loki gave a pained cry and curled into a tight ball. Surely this was all a trick; his brother was the God of them.

He had tricked him many a time. Gods did not break bones so readily, nor did the broken bone not heal immediately. Loki would not fool him this time.

Thor straightened himself in determination and fastened the muzzle that caused all of this trouble on his brother's face. Loki, for the most part, stayed still and silent. The only noises he uttered were small whimpers, strategically muted to sound muffled.

"Come Loki," Thor demanded gruffly. He did not call him his brother. It was time Thor stopped seeing Loki as his brother and more like the criminal that he was.

"Rise, Loki Laufeyson." Loki winced. The name hurt worse than the broken limb. Why was Thor demanding he ambulate in his condition?

"Loki, you will rise!" Thor gripped Loki's arm and yanked him upright. The agony that flared when his leg touched the ground made the earlier pain seem like a paper cut.

Everything went blurry and dark, and if Thor was not there to hold him up, Loki would have collapsed. His body could not take this, yet Thor pulled his arm harshly, forcing him to follow or be dragged.

Loki tried to hop along the best he could, but he tripped often and had to use his affected leg to steady himself.

"Loki, cease this foolishness. I will not fall for another of your tricks." But he wasn't faking this! His leg was not healing at all, and using it like this was not helping it one bit!

Time began to grow warped, passing Loki by in a haze of suffering. The pain was so great that he was still unaware when they had stopped their ceaseless march.

"Loki? Loki!" Thor's booming voice pulled him out of the dark and thrust him back into reality. He turned his bent head slowly to find Thor looking at him irritably.

All of the humans that had taken him prisoner were standing around, all of them wearing a mask of impatience and hatred to varying degrees.

"Take hold of the Tesseract." Loki scrunched his brow up. Why did Thor want him holding the tesseract? The answer stayed stubbornly on the tip of his tongue.

"Take the Tesseract now, Loki." Thor's voice brokered no argument. Loki hesitantly reached out with his bounds hands and laid them on the blue energy source.

Everything around them warped and twisted as they shot through space towards their destination. Normally, the green-eyed God would be used to the somewhat nauseating feeling that accompanied this form of travel, but this time was different.

This time Loki could not make heads or tails of any direction, making him terribly dizzy. His stomach clenched painfully and threatened to revolt. Moments before he gave in to his gut's demand to expel whatever was left in there, everything came to a stop.

Thor was still holding him upright as they landed at the end of the Bifrost Bridge. Heimdall's gaze pierced through the sickly Prince as Thor marched him past, making him shiver.

A sense of foreboding fell over Loki. What fate awaited him here? He didn't have long to wonder. He was quickly brought to the Throne Room and left standing alone in front of the Allfather.

Odin was silent for many long moments, his good eye staring intently at Loki's disheveled appearance. The young Prince squirmed uncomfortably. He did not like being the center of the entire council's attention in this way, and his leg was aching abominably. It was beginning to go numb, but Loki didn't think that was such a good sign.

"Loki Laufeyson." Odin's voice finally boomed out. Was everyone calling him by his birth name now? Loki hated that name with a passion.

"You have been accused and found guilty of the murders of hundreds of Midgardians and for almost completely eradicating the Frostgiants." Loki winced. Yes, he had tried to eliminate the Frostgiants, but he saw the error in his ways. He was wrong to have done that. But he did not kill innocent humans. He was sure he didn't.

"Your punishment has been deliberated by myself and the council for many hours now," Odin continued. "And we have decided on a suitable one for your misdeeds." Loki's heart sank. He could not be punished for something he didn't do.

"I did not murder Midgardians, Father." His voice brought silence ringing through the room. Odin's good eye flashed in fury.

"You have lost the right to call me by such a name."

"But Father-" Loki blurted out desperately.

"How dare you speak out of turn, and address me in such a way!" Odin bellowed, swinging a bolt of force from his staff that knocked Loki off his feet and onto his back.

The Prince went down like a sack of rocks, mouth gaping open like a fish in attempt to get air back in his lungs.

The Allfather loomed over him ominously. Loki saw what he thought was a flash of sorrow in the old man's gaze, but it was gone too quickly to be certain, and replaced by determination.

"You are to be stripped of all that separates you from the humans you so greatly despise. Your immortality and magic shall be taken away. You will live on Earth as a Midgardian. Perhaps time will be merciful enough to grant you peace when the humans forget your face. But for now they all know your face."

All color drained from Loki's face. His magic was a part of him. It could not be taken from him. But apparently the Allfather believed it could.

Odin pressed the tip of his spear to Loki's chest. There was a faint glow before agony shot through Loki and raced through his veins. His screams filled the whole of Asgard.

Thank you for all the reviews! I'm glad to know people are enjoying it. Things are about to get interesting so hang in there. Please please PLEASE review. I absolutely love reading them and hearing feedback. Constructive criticism is always welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

The instant Loki started screaming Thor froze in shock. Loki never screamed. Never when they were children and certainly not now at this age. For just a split second the thought that Loki could be lying flitted across the Golden God's mind.

That thought was quickly thrust aside. There was no possible way that anyone could fake a scream like that. It was truly a gut-wrenching sound.

Thor could only watch in horror as Loki curled in on himself, eyes shut tightly, tears streaming down his pale cheeks as he screamed to the skies.

Loki never cried either.

How could he have ever thought that taking away Loki's magic would have solved all their problems? Loki was magic. He was born with it, and it could not be taken away. Thor could only imagine the feeling of the magic being sheared from every atom in the smaller God's body.

Without realizing it, Thor had slowly inched closer and closer to his ailing brother until a pale, trembling hand shot out and grabbed hold of his cape.

"B-brother please…please make it stop…Please I beg you!" That was when Thor knew this was not a façade. Loki would never voluntarily beg for anything.

He spun around to face the Allfather rapidly.

"Father, please cease the punishment. It will kill him. We can bind his magic instead."

"Do not be fooled, Thor. This must be done. Whether or not it is painful is the price to pay for his actions."

"Father-" Thor started, but Odin silenced his protest with a well-placed hand to Thor's chest, the force of which sent him flying backwards into the wall and crashing to the ground.

The Golden God sat up slowly trying to catch his breath. Loki was now just a sniveling mess, lying on his side with his face turned away from him torturer, occasionally twitching as if he had been electrocuted.

Finally, Odin lowered Gungnir and the spell was complete. Loki didn't bounce up like he normally would. He stayed down.

"Loki?" Thor asked cautiously, slowly coming closer to his now-mortal brother. Loki did not respond. In fact, it looked as if he was now unconscious.

Upon closer inspection Loki looked ragged. His skin was a sickly grey color, the blue veins standing out in stark contrast underneath the surface. His breathing was ragged and uneven even in unconsciousness. He seemed unwell.

He laid a hand on his brother's quivering shoulder gently only to yank his arm away violently when he felt the burning heat underneath.

"Father," he bellowed urgently. "He burns with fever." Odin furrowed his eyebrow and came closer, laying his own hand upon his youngest son's forehead.

"He is ill," he finally concluded. "But I cannot order the healers to mend his ailment. He is a traitor and has been banished. We can only hope that someone on Earth will be merciful to help him to health."

Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in forever. I work at a camp and just had two weeks off and forgot my laptop here and had no way to post anything. Also I'm sorry this chapter is super short. I was going to make it long in apology for y'all, but I only have an hour off every day and it would take forever to write more and I wanted to post this chapter before y'all thought I abandoned the story. I hope it was ok. I still love and read every review. Send me feedback PLEASE! I have no idea where to take this story at the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

Lightning streaked across the sky in continuous flashes, lighting up the city of New York. Thor paid the storm no mind as he landed on the rooftop of Stark Tower, knees bending to take the full impact.

Despite his care Loki still stirred and groaned in his arms. Thor looked down worriedly at his precious bundle and adjusted his red cape to drape further over the Green God's trembling shoulders.

He allowed himself to study his younger brother for a few moments as the residents of the tower had undoubtedly heard his arrival and would be coming to investigate.

Loki's pale white face was scrunched in discomfort even in his unconscious state. The rain mixed with the sweat sliding down the God's face. Harsh, laborious sounds emerged from Loki's parted lips. His brother was very ill.

"Thor? Is that you?" Tony's voice broke through Thor's concentration. Tony held up a small flashlight, and shone it directly in the God's face. Thor cleared his throat of the strange lump that had suddenly become lodged there.

"Aye, it is I, friend Stark." Tony shuffled closer with the light, clearly becoming irritated.

"Then why do you not come in? It's raining as hard as-" he abruptly cut off as the flashlight travelled down Thor's body to see what he held so closely to his body.

Tony immediately recognized the pale figure clutched in the Golden God's arms. It was the same figure that haunted his dreams; the same person that had tossed him from his own window like some discarded piece of trash.

"What is he doing here?" he asked in an icy tone.

"Please son of Stark. My brother is very ill and this rain is doing his condition no assistance. Mayhap we can continue this conversation within the safety of your home?" Thor's voice had become pleading, and his face was so imploring that Stark took pity upon the normally proud God.

"Yea, whatever. Come inside, but don't sit anywhere; you're soaking wet. I'll call the rest of the team here. They have a right to know their enemy is back on their planet." Thor visibly bristled at the word 'enemy', but he kept his mouth closed, and instead followed the engineer inside.

Oo_-_oO

Twenty minutes later the Avengers were assembled into Tony's living room. Tony himself had changed out of his drenched clothing and was lounging lazily on his couch looking the picture of carefree.

Thor was still holding Loki, standing in the middle of the room with everyone staring at him. It made his terribly uncomfortable and impatient since this time spent staring could be used to find a cure for his brother, but he dared not speak first lest he anger the Avengers and forfeit any chance he had of getting aid for Loki.

Everyone around them held varying emotions. The Archer was staring with undisguised hatred burning in his eyes. The female spy was as calm and collected as ever, not a twitch betraying what she was feeling.

The Captain looked at Loki with confusion and a hint of concern, while Banner was counting his breaths, looking like he very much was trying to keep from Hulking out. Tony was the first to break the silence.

"Does anyone want a drink?" he asked as he swung himself off the couch and made his way over to the bar.

"Tony, I don't believe now is the best time to drink," Steve replied sternly.

"It's always a good time to drink," Tony said as he poured himself a healthy glass of expensive looking scotch, and swallowed half of it in one sip. Captain America rolled his eyes before looking back at the wet Gods in front of him.

"What are you doing here, and why have you brought him?" Steve asked in his military voice.

"Please, friends. My brother has faced punishment for what he has done, and has fallen very ill. He needs a healer."

"Why don't you take his to Asgard and let them take care of his sick ass?" Clint cut in irritably.

"Barton, this is not the time for your snarky comments," the Captain shot back immediately.

"What? Now that he has the sniffles we're going to forgive him of all the things he's done? All the people he's killed mean nothing?" The Archer was livid. His hands had tightened into fists and his muscles were straining with the effort of holding himself back from strangling the unconscious God.

"That's not at all true. But we need to know why Thor's here so keep your thoughts to yourself for now. Now Thor," Steve said calmly, looking back at the God, "Please continue." Thor shifted uneasily. Barton's outburst unsettled him. How could these people help Loki after he had almost killed them all?

"My brother needs aid from a healer, and has been banished from Asgard. No healer will betray the word of the Allfather and help him. I was hoping friend Banner would assist in returning him to health."

For a moment everything was deathly silent except for Loki's ragged breathing. Then two shouts rang through the air simultaneously.

"No!"

Thanks so much for the reviews guys! I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I'm officially done with my job so I hope to write more often now. Please keep the reviews and ideas coming!


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone seemed startled at the unexpected outburst, even the ever-calm Natasha. Thor spared not a glance at Barton, who he knew would disapprove of his request and stared instead at the Doctor.

His was the only opinion that mattered to him, and at the moment it was less than satisfactory, though to his credit, Banner looked sheepish at his atypical outburst.

Bruce reflexively ran his hand through his hair, obviously trying to pick his next words more carefully.

"I mean, I do wish I could help him Thor, but I'm not that type of doctor. I'm a simple volunteer doctor for third world countries."

"But you must at least try! My brother is dying, and I cannot lose him again!" Thor pleaded helplessly. Bruce bit his lip.

"Well maybe I can-" Bruce began, but was cut off by another outburst from Clint.

"Are you even suggesting that we help this murderer?"

"Barton that is quite enough!" Steve stated firmly, but the Archer spoke over him as if he had not said anything.

"No! We have humored Thor and pretended as if we cared long enough. There is no way you can be considering trying to save Loki, are you Bruce?" He screamed, turning to face the doctor, who was turning a brilliant shade of pink. "He's murdered women and children without a second thought. He has no heart or good bone in his body. He's better off to the world as dead."

Thor clenched his hands into fists. If he had not a hold on his ailing brother he would have wielded Mjolnir and pummeled the useless human into dust. Unbeknownst to the group, the God who was the center of the heated discussion had roused from his sickly sleep, and had heard the entire dispute.

His fever could not drown out the horror he was feeling at the moment. So it was true. He had murdered hundreds of innocent humans. They never even had a chance to fight back. He was an immortal God and they were but mortal creatures. And he slaughtered them like lambs to the kill.

Outside of his violent inner turmoil the argument was becoming more dangerous by the second.

"I say we leave him outside to rot! That's more than he deserves!"

"My brother has paid for his crimes. Mind your tongue mortal!" Thor bellowed, red faced and shaking with rage.

Soon, all of the other Avengers who had been previously staring at the two in shock jumped into action to try and soothe the quarrel before things took a turn for the worse, but to no avail. Thor looked one second from smiting Barton where he stood and the Archer's hands were itching back towards the bow that was strung on his back.

"Brother." It was amazing how the softly spoken words cut through the shouting, and quieted the pair straightaway. Thor yanked his eyes away from Clint to look at the younger God.

"Brother," he mimicked, relief clear in his voice. "I am getting you help. No need to fret. Just rest and all will be well soon." The reprieve he felt at his brother's wakeful state made him forget even all the eyes that were trained on them like lasers.

Loki opened his eyes slowly, and Thor could not hold back his gasp of shock. Loki's eyes weren't their normal emerald green, or the vivid blue as Thor became accustomed to them being during their battles, but were a dull and lifeless grey as if they held no life in them at all.

"No Thor," Loki whispered. "The Green Archer is right. I do deserve to die alone outside."

"That's not true Brother! You have taken your punishment. You are clear of blame."

"But I am not clear of conscious. I am still guilty of slaying the innocent, and I always will be. You have troubled the good Avengers enough. Do not ask of them to have a battle of morals and duty. Let me go." Loki was well and truly exhausted by the end of his plea for death. He was shaking in fatigue and his eyes were threatening to close on him again. But Thor refused to be deterred.

"I will not give up on you, Brother! I just got you back. Not even the worst criminal deserves a death such as this." Loki continued on despite his exhaustion.

"I'm truly am sorry. For everything. I dare not ask for anyone's forgiveness for this, but I do hope that one day everyone may accept my apology." He mumbled to the group around him. The last part he directed at Thor. "I'm sorry I disappointed you, Thor. That is my greatest regret. I do love you, Brother." On the last word his eyes fluttered closed, and his body sagged.

Before anyone could react, Loki suddenly shot up and doubled over, body heaving in a violent coughing fit. Blood and a black substance spewed from his mouth onto everyone.

Banner instinctively stepped forward to assist the ailing God, but the episode had passed. The small Asgardian had slumped back against his Brother, still unconscious. The only evidence something had happened was the mess all over everyone and the red staining his lips. Thor was horrified, and shook Loki gently.

"Brother? Please open your eyes!" No matter what Thor did, Loki could not be roused. Bruce placed an ear against the sick God's chest. His brow scrunched up for a moment before he looked up at the Thunder God in panic.

"Thor. He isn't breathing!"


	7. Chapter 7

"No!" Thor's bellow shook every window in Stark's tower. The Thunderer shook his brother like a ragdoll, but Loki stayed still and silent. To the outside world, Loki looked already gone, but deep inside the Green God's mind, he lived.

Oo_-_oO

_Loki dangled helplessly from his staff with one hand, staring up in desperation at Thor and Odin. Not because he knew that if any of them were to let go he would plummet towards the great nothing of space, but for any hint of understanding._

"_I could have done it Father! I could have done it! For you; for all of us." Loki searched the Allfather's aged face frantically for the realization to dawn, but all he found was great disappointment and shame shining in his eyes._

"_No Loki." So that was it then. Odin would never understand why he did what he did. Would never know why Loki almost wiped out the Frostgiant race. All he ever wanted was the approval and love from his family, despite his unrelated race. _

_He could have eradicated those monsters from everyone's lives forever. No more cowering in fear while waiting for their next attack. No more families mourning a loved one slayed by a frost blade. But all Odin would ever see was that his disappointment of a son betrayed him._

_With that thought, Loki loosened his grip on the staff slightly. He spared one last look at his Brother. Thor's face was a mirror image of his Father's. For once, Thor showed a sign of quick thinking. He had undoubtedly seen his hand sliding down the staff._

"_Loki no. No!" But Loki had already let go of the cold metal. His Brother's voice chased him as he rushed towards the black hole until it, along with every other noise was wiped out and everything grew dark._

_/-\_

_The fire walker bent down, face to face with the smaller God, who gasped at the sight._

_One word screamed itself in Loki's head over and over: Thanos._

"_Puny Immortal," Thanos spat in contempt. "I was planning on a more durable being to undertake the task of doing my bidding, but I suppose someone as insignificant as you could be a valuable asset."_

_Before Loki had the chance to question what request the Titan had of him his head was grabbed by one of Thano's huge hands and fire seared its way through his mind._

_Any feelings of morals or kindness were thrust out by ones of rage and vindictiveness. Those who opposed the Master's demands would pay with their lives. It did not matter if thousands had to be sacrificed for the good of the Plan._

_Loki looked up at his Master with his new blue eyes and smiled maliciously. The Plan was now in motion._

_/-\_

_The Great Beast tossed Loki into the floor left and right. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the God could hear the furious roar of Thanos as his hold over him was smashed to pieces, but the pain drove out all conscious thought._

_With one final slam, the Hulk left Loki in a crater made from his own body in the floor. The God didn't even attempt to rise. He was suddenly so exhausted. All of his energy had left him, taking with it all of his wrath. Now all he wanted to do was close his eyes for a few moments. Already his eyes were slipping shut, and he knew no more_

_Oo_-_oO_

"_Loki please. Breathe Brother. You have to live; I just got you back." Was that Thor? Why was he pleading with him to breathe? Was he not breathing? Loki listened carefully, but all was silent save for his Brother's pleas to him and the Doctor's barely-composed voice. _

_Funny that he did not feel pain in his chest. Nor did he feel pain at all. It was such a relief not to be encumbered by the agony he felt when he was awake._

_Why would he want to go back to that? The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Death was easy; peaceful. Life was filled with pain and heart-ache; fear and trials. _

_If he decided to live, he would have to live with himself for the rest of his immortal life. He would have to face being the murderer or innocent Midgardians. He would have to wake up and see a monster staring back at him in the mirror every morning._

_No one wanted him. Not his parents, not his own race, not Thor or any of the Avengers. What was there to live for?_

_So he had a choice. To let go and stay in peace for all eternity, or take a breath and surrender himself to the pain of living. His decision was one he spared not a second thought to._


	8. Chapter 8

Bruce glanced at the Thunderer in pity. Despite not seeing any signs of life from Loki's prone body, Thor still pleaded with him desperately.

"Thor," he said gently, laying a hand on his trembling shoulder. "It's been over ten minutes. AT this point, even his mind is gone. I'm so sorry."

"No!" Thor bawled. "He has returned from death unscathed before! Now is no different!" All of the Avengers shared helpless looks. How could they convince the God that his baby brother was gone? To everyone's surprise it was Natasha who stepped forward.

"Thor, listen to me." Her voice was neither harsh nor condescending. The Thunder God slowly raised his tear-shot eyes to look at the spy. She had crouched down so that she could be at his level and talk face-to-face.

"I have no doubt that Loki has cheated death before, but even a God can only take so much. He's gone, and there is nothing more that you can do for him other than lay him to rest. Do you think he would want you beating yourself up like this? It isn't your fault." When Thor opened his mouth to protest she cut in before he could manage a word.

"I know you're blaming yourself, Thor. But it really isn't your fault. Now, Dr. Banner is going to take Loki while you go get yourself cleaned up. You're soaking wet, and I know you don't want to get sick."

"Gods cannot contract simple human ailments such as colds," Thor murmured.

"They can when they're clearly exhausted and worn down," Natasha shot back. Thor knew she was right. She was right about it all, but he still tightened his hold on his little brother when Banner stepped forward.

"I'm so sorry, brother. I should have been there," he whispered in Loki's ear. Finally he loosened his grip, and the Doctor gently scooped Loki into his own arms.

As Loki was taken away, his mind wandered back to a time that he had always held dear. One when everything was simple, and his brother was still his brother. When they made the pact.

Oo_-_oO (Thor and Loki are around 10 human age)

_Thor jumped up again, before sitting down with a huff. No matter how hard he tried he could not climb the tree to get the apple at the top._

_Loki sat at the base of the tree trying to suppress his smile behind the book he was currently reading._

"_Why do you not pick one of the apples within your reach?"_

"_Because they are not the best apple. I want the reddest and best one up on top," Thor pouted._

_Loki sighed dramatically before closing his book and gracefully rising._

"_Well, I just read about a new spell. I wanted to try it out, and now seems as good a time as any, I suppose._

_Thor perked up at the idea. He loved watching his brother perform magic. It was truly fascinating._

_The Green God closed his eyes in concentration and flexed his fingers out by his side. Green magic sparkled along his fingertips. Loki mumbled a few words, and suddenly he was gone._

_A loud crash brought Thor's head up._

"_Loki!" he cried urgently. Loki was upside down in the tree, his foot caught by a branch. He had miscalculated his teleport and slipped._

"_Thor help me!" Loki screamed in panic. The young Thunderer looked around for anything he could find to aid his descent up the tree to rescue his brother._

"_I should go get help."_

"_No!" Loki panicked. "Don't leave me Thor! Please don't leave me!"_

"_I'll never leave you." Thor stated seriously. He looked up at the tree limb he had previously been trying to grab. He took a few steps back and then charged the apple tree. With a surge of adrenaline he managed to grab the limb and swing himself on. He quickly began ascending towards Loki._

_At the same moment, Loki's foot untangled from the branch and he went plummeting towards the ground quickly. He shut his eyes with a cry and the fall was over quickly._

_He slowly opened his eyes when he felt no pain, and looked up at his brother who had grabbed him by the arm and saved him from a nasty fall._

"_Thor," he whispered in disbelief. Thor smiled and set Loki on a branch before climbing down and sitting next to him._

"_Y-you saved me."_

"_Of course I did, Loki. I will always be there for you. I'll never leave you, brother."_

Oo_-_oO

Thor cried out in anguish. He lost his baby brother and broke his promise. He wasn't there for him when Loki needed him most. How could he ever forgive himself? Somewhere in the tower a familiar voice cried out for him.

"Thor!" Thor immediately sat up in disbelief and yelled back.

"Loki!"


End file.
